The invention relates to a headlight lamp having at least one lamp vessel, at least one luminous element, which is enclosed in the at least one lamp vessel, supply leads for supplying energy to the at least one luminous element, a lamp base, in which the at least one lamp vessel is fastened, wherein the lamp base has a base flange and at least three reference lugs arranged in a common plane parallel to the plane of the base flange.
Such a headlight lamp is disclosed, for example, in the international patent application with the publication number of WO 97/25733. This document describes a headlight lamp that has a lamp bulb, an incandescent filament surrounded by the lamp bulb, a lamp base provided with a base flange and with three reference lugs arranged in a common plane parallel to the plane of the base flange, and also supply leads for supplying energy to the incandescent filament. The base flange is equipped with a groove for holding a sealing ring. The fastening of the lamp in a rear headlight reflector opening constructed as lamp mount is performed with the aid of the reference lugs and the sealing ring resting on the base flange. The reference lugs engage in the headlight reflector opening constructed as lamp mount, and the sealing ring bears against the outer wall of the headlight reflector. The edge of the reflector opening is therefore arranged in a clamping fashion between the sealing ring and the reference lugs.
It is the object of the invention to provide a headlight lamp of the generic type with a simplified design of the base.
This object is achieved according to the invention by means of the features of patent claim 1. Particularly advantageous designs of the invention are described in the subclaims.
The headlight lamps according to the invention are distinguished by comparison with the known lamps of the generic type in that the base flange has at least three clips, arranged along the circumference of the base flange, which are constructed resiliently perpendicularly to the plane of the base flange. Together with the reference lugs, these clips permit the headlight lamp according to the invention to be fastened in a lamp mounting opening of the headlight. After the insertion of the lamp, the edge of the lamp mounting opening of the headlight is fixed in a clamping fashion between the reference lugs and the clips according to the invention. A sealing ring and a plastic base underpart of gastight construction are not required when the headlight itself is equipped with sealing means for sealing the lamp mounting opening in a gastight fashion.
The clips integrally formed on the base flange are advantageously respectively provided with a camber projecting from the plane of the base flange. Moreover, the base flange and the integrally formed clip advantageously consist of a metal. This is the simplest way to achieve a spring action perpendicular to the plane of the base flange as well as to achieve a high strength and elasticity. Since the lamp according to the invention is inserted into the lamp mounting opening of the headlight by a rotary movement, the clips integrally formed on the base flange advantageously extend in the azimuthal direction and have the same orientation. Moreover, they are preferably of homogeneous construction.